Buca, Inc. is an industry leader in terms of growth in the number of restaurants it oversees. The company owns and operates 51 full service, dinner-only restaurants under the name Buca di Beppo. Its restaurants are located in 18 states as well as the District of Columbia. Buca di Beppo (meaning 'Joe's basement') restaurants differentiate from other Italian restaurant chains by providing distinctive oversized Southern Italian family style portions in a casual, festive, humorous, socially interactive atmosphere. Appealing to nostalgic trends, the décor at each of Buca's restaurants irreverently exaggerates the clichés of traditional postwar neighborhood Italian/American restaurants. In terms of scale, Buca thinks big: large food portions, large tables, and large restaurant size with an average seating capacity of 300.

Soak the beans overnight. Drain and cover with 6 cups hot water and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Drain.

Heat the olive oil and chopped garlic for one minute. Add the chopped escarole and cook until wilted down. This will look like a lot of greens, but by the end will cook down until almost nothing.
Add the beans, tomato Sauce, diced tomatoes and broth. Stir to combine. Simmer together uncovered for 45 minutes until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with delicious crusty bread!

Cut pork into 1/2 inch thick slices, then pound each piece flat into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Season both sides of pork pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shake lightly, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, until smoking. Working in batches (make sure to leave space between pieces or it won't brown properly) Saute the pork in hot oil until lightly golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Set the pork pieces aside when done.

In the same skillet, reduce heat to low and melt butter. Once the butter is melted, add the limoncello (careful--it will steam very high for a couple of seconds). Simmer for about two minutes, then add all of the pork pieces, overlapping slightly if necessary. Raise the heat to medium-low, and immediately sprinkle the garlic over the top, then cover pan with lid and simmer five minutes more. Turn pork over, squeeze about six lemon slices in between pork and layer the top with pepperoncini slices. Cover and simmer an additional three minutes. Pork should have a deep golden color when done.

Arrange the pork on a serving platter, drizzle any remaining sauce over the meat, then garnish plate with remaining lemon slices and whole pepperoncinis.

To prepare the hens, split open the back of each Cornish game hen with a sharp knife or poultry shears.Remove the giblets, rinse under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Flatten leaving hens in one piece. Place olive oil, crushed red pepper, rosemary, oregano and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add hens to the mixture and marinate for about 2 hours, turning the hens from time to time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the hens on a large sheet pan, skin side down. Spoon some of the marinade over the hens. Bake for about 45 minutes, turn the hens skin side up and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is done and skin is golden brown and crisp.

Remove the hens from the oven, place on serving dishes and top with Spinach Sauce.

To prepare Spinach Sauce bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add the garlic. Cook until the cream is reduced by half. Add the spinach, salt and pepper, and heat through, cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and add butter. Mix well until the sauce has thickened. If you prefer a smoother sauce, puree in a blender or food processor.

Soak the beans overnight. Drain and cover with 6 cups hot water and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Drain. Heat olive oil and chopped garlic for one minute. Add the chopped escarole and cook until wilted down. This will look like a lot of greens, but by the end will cook down until almost nothing. Add the beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and broth. Stir to combine. Simmer together uncovered for 45 minutes until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.

Cook pasta 9 to 10 minutes in salted water according to package instructions. Five minutes before pasta is cooked, begin preparing the sauce.

Saute the bacon with olive oil in skillet until it begins to crisp. Add black pepper. Allow to stand for 1 minute. Add the prosciutto, stir over heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and continue sauteing and stirring for 1 minute. Add the peas. Cook for 2 minutes, allowing peas to absorb flavors of the dish. Add the cooked, drained pasta and toss gently. Add cheeses and toss again gently. Serves 1.

In a blender container, combine the red wine vinegar, oregano, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion and garlic. Blend together while slowly adding the olive oil. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Note: Do not make this a day in advance or put in refrigerator, as flavors will not be at their best.

Season the salmon if you choose and either sear in a pan, then place in oven to cook until finished or grill. Keep warm if it finishes prior to the sauce.

In the meantime, warm the olive oil in a saute pan until just warm and add pesto and heat on medium until it becomes more liquid. Add the cream and half and half and bring to a gentle boil while whisking. Continue to cook over low heat stirring frequently until thickened. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Serve salmon on a bed of the sauce. Serves 6-8.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add the shrimp and saute for 30 seconds or until the shrimp turn pink on both sides. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and simmer until the garlic is caramelized.

Add the clam juice to pan and simmer until the clam juice is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and spinach to the pan and toss to coat. Remove from heat and add the butter swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is slightly thickened. Add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese to pan and toss to incorporate. Garnish with parmesan cheese.